Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot and sauté the shallots, onion, carrots, and sugar until browned. Set aside.

Place the flour in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and add the beef. Mix well. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the pot and brown the beef in batches, reserving each batch with the vegetables.

Add 25g of butter to the pot, incorporate the remaining seasoned flour and gradually add the stout beer, scraping the bottom to deglaze. Add the broth, beef, vegetables, thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and simmer gently for 1.5 hours.

Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet, add the mushrooms, and fry on high heat for 2 minutes. Incorporate into the pot and allow to simmer for another hour.

For the dumplings, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and a bit of pepper into a bowl; add the fat and thyme. Stir in enough cold water to form a slightly sticky dough. Use a spoon to divide the dough into 6 pieces and drop them into the pot 25 minutes before the cooking time is up. Cover and cook until the dumplings have puffed and are fully cooked, checking by piercing one with a skewer, which should come out clean.